Flightless bird
by HMemma546
Summary: When Morgana has a dream of a bird falling she didn’t expect it to symbol Gwen. YOUNG GWEN/MORGANA, FRIENDSHIP SLASH!


Flightless bird

Summary: When Morgana has a dream of a bird falling she didn't expect it to symbol Gwen. YOUNG GWEN/MORGANA, FRIENDSHIP SLASH!

Morgana grinned as her friend bustled around her room in a cleaning frenzy, "I thought cleaning was meant to be a chore but you act like it's your hobby."

Gwen laughed, "My lady, I thought you would have noticed long ago that it _is_ my hobby"

Morgana lightly slap her arm as she past to straighten out the bed again. Then she slyly smirked as she purposely stained her dress with her ink bottle.

"Morgana!"

"What? I thought you would love the fact that you'll have to clean it!"

Gwen rolled her eyes as she quickly brought out another dress for Morgana to wear. She hope when they got older, Morgana would care more for her clothes as they were already running out because all of the stains Morgana got when she played battle with her step brother or when she spill paint on her to get out of painting class. But Morgana was still thirteen, the same age as she, so it would be a while for that change.

"It's not me who has to clean them, milady. And I doubt the new laundry deputy maid will be impressed."

"Well, you can offer to clean it for her as you _love_ cleaning. But if you do that how will you be able to clean my room? You can't really multitask..."

"I can so multitask!"

"...and what a shame as its only _real_ women that can multitask."

Gwen lightly flapped the dress at Morgana as she handed it to her. Of course if they have been equal they would both lightly thump each other but Gwen was a servant no matter how young she was when she started which was at the age of seven. But she didn't mind that just so long as Morgana was her friend.

"Do you want a bath that is not accidentally filled with ink?" Gwen asked as Morgana as she carried on chuckling cruelly.

"Do you want to push in when you check the temperature?" Morgana fire back jokily. Gwen sighed as she went to run the bath, going nowhere near any ink cupboards.

* * *

_A bird. _Morgana sighed as she watched a bird fly in front of her. _A white bird in a middle of nowhere. _Morgana couldn't work out where she was or where she was in fact. All she could see was a bird.  
_The bird was soaring in the open space, carefree. It carried food for its families and friends dinner in its yellow beak. It was happy, nothing to worry it._

_Then suddenly it lost its soar. A weight seemed to push upon it for as it struggled to carry on flying, it floated lower. _Morgana gasped, worried for the birds outcome. _The bird tried to maintain the carefree attitude as it struggled as through not wanting anyone to see that it was vulnerable. But the weight was too much. _Morgana watched in horror as the bird gave in and fell into the black below.

* * *

"Morgana?"

Morgana sprang up to see Gwen was standing by her bed, peering at her worriedly.

"Ssssh, its okay Morgana, you were having a nightmare."

Morgana didn't realise she was sobbing until Gwen's shoulder had become wet.

"What happen?" Gwen asked softly.

"Nothing really, just a bird falling. I don't know why I'm reacting like this." Morgana gently pushed Gwen away as she sat up in the bed. She focused on her friend, "Why are you here?"

Gwen blinked. "I'm sorry, milady, what?"

"Why are you here? It's the middle of the night! Shouldn't you be at home, your dad would be-"

"Oh, um, don't worry. I was just returning your dress but you were tossing about so I had to wake you up. Sorry."

"It's okay. Now you best get off to bed."

Gwen gave Morgana a smile but hesitated, "Are you sure you wouldn't want me to stay? Just in case you have a nightmare again?"

"I'll be fine. Now go on."

Gwen left and Morgana tried to get back to sleep. It was when was sinking into sleep when she was reminded on how small Gwen's usual big smile was.

* * *

"Morgana, would it be too much to ask if you don't go to fight with Arthur today?"

Morgana frowned as Gwen who was standing besides her holding her sword. It had been weeks after the bird dream and Morgana had almost forgotten about the bird.

"Gwen, you know how much I love this. And if it stops Uther from finding me and getting me to attend dance class..."

"I know that Morgana, it's just...well you're becoming older now. Don't you should be worrying about-"

"Boring girly girl things??!!" Morgana voice roused, "Gwen, you know me! I'm not a girly girl and I won't back down on the bet of beating Arthur five days in a row!"

"I-I didn't mean that...I meant your dresses..."

"Oh who cares about my dresses? They're all a little bit ruined anyway. I wait until I have to get news ones before I worry about a stupid thing like dresses!"

Gwen bit her lip and nodded, "Of course. So sorry milady." And she handed Morgana the sword and left the practising battle field.

As Morgana started fighting Arthur it was then when she realised that Gwen bit her lip because it was quivering.

* * *

"You alright?" Arthur asked as they sat on the wall at the side. They have finish fighting, Morgana winning of course.

"Never been better, why?"

"It's just you're usually bragging on the fact you beat me."

"Well I'm letting you get your hopes up, thinking I'm tiring so I'll beat you even easier."

Arthur grinned as he ran his hand through his mop of blond hair. The villager girls that were watching from the distance all sighed. Morgana raised her eyebrow.

"What?"

"Um, why on earth are you trying to flirt?"

"I'm not trying! I can flirt without having to try, Morgana so don't flatter..."

"Yeah right! So why are you training non stop to get muscles?"

Arthur lightly punched her and she shoved him a little bit too hardly. He almost fell to the floor and she had to pull him back up again.

"Well it's clearly not making you strong."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever! So, um, what is wrong?"

Morgana sighed as she watched the knights trained in front of her. Arthur immediately read her as he sighed.

"Morgana, Gwen is a servant. Don't you think you shouldn't be so worried about her? She is lower."

"Oh _sure_, Arthur, servant's are pointless slaves and none of them should be worthy of my friendship." Morgana paused as she got distracted by a perfect swing of a sword by one of the knights. _She'll have to learn that._

"Arthur, just because they're lower than us doesn't mean they aren't humans. They deserve friendship even with people who are higher than them."

Arthur sighed and Morgana left him, huffing madly. _Uggh, he was becoming too much like Uther._

When she came back to her chambers, she was surprised to see that Gwen wasn't about. But tired as she was, she ignored it and just took of her shoes and threw herself onto the bed.

* * *

_The bird was still being press down by the weight. But more and more seem to add to it. The bird's eyes were filled with loneliness as if someone close seemed to have drifted far away. The bird was only half as it once was.

* * *

_

"Gwen, you look exhausted! Are you alright?"

Gwen was busy tiding up as usual but there was something unusual that caught Morgana's attention. She seemed to have lost heart over what she was doing over the weeks.

A small smile appeared on Gwen's lips, "I'm fine, milady."

Morgana wasn't as convinced. _Maybe Gwen's coming down with something? _"Maybe you should take the week off?"

"But milady, who will-?"

"It's alright Gwen; I'll get someone to replace you."

Gwen, who was polishing a vase, dropped it to the floor. Morgana was about to complain when she noticed the look in Gwen's eyes.

Gwen quickly picked the pieces up with shaky hands. Morgana went over to help but that just made the maid hurry up the process cutting herself more.

"Gwen..."

"I'm sorry milady."

Morgana was about to tell her that the vase wasn't to worry about but Gwen was looking at her with such sadness that Morgana found no words.

"I haven't been a good maid have I?"

"W-what? N-n-" Morgana tried to speak.

"I'm sorry. I've been so ungrateful, acting like I'm your equal and your friend. I've haven't work as hard as I supposed to, enjoying the luxuries that I shouldn't get. I understand that you wish to sack me. I'll be off then, milady." And before Morgana could say anything Gwen hurried away.

Morgana stared after her, anger boiling inside her. _Why is she acting like this? Doesn't she want to be my friend? Why on earth would she think I would want to sack her?_

Desperate to know, Morgana followed her maid.

* * *

She found herself at the stairs leading to the kitchen and laundry. Of course, If Gwen wasn't attending Morgana she would be found here. Gwen and her father were hard workers and Gwen never wanted to let her father down so when she became Morgana's maid, she kept her kitchen job as well.

Morgana quickly grabbed an apron and a hat from the side and slipped into the room, keeping to the sides so not to draw attention to herself. She hid behind a table with large bags of vegetables on it. As she began to copy what the girl was doing with them next to her, she listened out for Gwen.

Gwen was busy preparing some dishes when she past a frowning woman with her hands filled of soapy laundry.

"Oy, _you_! Where're the clean clothes I gave you?"

Gwen stopped what she was doing as she turned around to face the woman. Her lip quivered and she quickly bit it.

"I am still cleaning them, mam. I'm sorry but it's quite hard to do with so much work..."

"Don't you dare talk to me about lots of work, missy! I do much more than you do! Why I work my butt of while you just follow the ward around all day. So how are you and your _friend_?"

Gwen quivered all over now.

"Yep, finally open your eyes, little worm? You've been to busy lounging in luxuries that you forgot what your place is. The ward would never want to be friends with a dirty worm like you."

"S-shut up!" Gwen shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks. With an anger, Morgana had never seen before, Gwen tipped over the bowl of laundry, "Shut up!"

The woman just laughed and slapped Gwen across the face sending her flying, "That's no way to speak to a laundry deputy. I can sack you on the spot, worm and I will. So now you have no jobs and you'll have to learn the hard way of taking more than your share of the plate. Now be gone with you!"

Gwen ran out of the room, sobbing her heart out as she did so. Morgana stared at everyone else in the room. They had ignored the whole incident, just carried on working. _How could they?_

With a rage that Morgana have never felt in her life, Morgana stalked over to the laundry deputy, "That was wrong!"

The deputy slapped her too not recognising her, "Don't you dare tell me what is wrong! Who do you think you are?"

Morgana pulled of her disguise, "I am the lady Morgana, ward of king Uther."

Everyone in the room froze and the deputy stammered, "I didn't recognised you milady, I didn't-"

"You hit me like you would hit any other person in this room. I think it is you who is enjoying the luxuries to much. That is no way to treat any member of staff. I will tell the king of this and I hope you suffer!"

Morgana ran out of the room to find her friend. She knew now, she understood her dream. Gwen was the flightless bird.

* * *

Gwen was easy to find. When ever she was upset, she would hide in Morgana's wardrobe so no one except her would find her. She was there now, trying to muffle her sobs.

Morgana sat down next to her as Gwen continued to sob. She put her arms around her. Gwen hesitated but relaxed and hugged her back.

"Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Gwen looked up, "I-I didn't think it would be important."

"Gwen, you were being bullied. That is more important than anything."

"But- why?"

"Gwen, you're my friend. Whatever she said was a lie! You are the best friend I ever had! Why did you doubt that?"

"I-it didn't make sense that we would be friends. And when you were talking to Arthur..."

"I was being sarcastic, you idiot!"

"Oh." That was all Gwen could say.

"So has this woman been making you do all her chores?"

Gwen nodded, "That's why I asked you not to fight. I had to do so much and I just didn't want to-"

"I'm sorry. I should have realised. You've never smiled such a small smile before."

"It's okay, milady."

"_Morgana_. Friends call each other by their names, don't they?"

Gwen grinned her big grin once again.

* * *

_The bird weight was lifted. It now flew back into the sky the liberty back once more. As it flew it glazed at Morgana. _Thank you_ it's eyes said as it disappeared into the sunny clouds._

_

* * *

**How was that? Okay, okay maybe it was hard to tell that they were thriteen so I'm sorry about that! Please review people, plz?**_


End file.
